Taiwan Modern Calligraphy : Hsu Yung Chin art exhibition at NCKU

Hsu Yung Chin (徐永進) is a well-known Taiwanese calligrapher who’s doing some very interesting modern “20th-21st century” calligraphy.

Every once in a while I visit the NCKU student activity center which is a run-down building that was given to the university student clubs to do with it just about what ever it is they want. There are a few university offices, like the student counseling center and other health services, but the one I was curious about was the mysterious art gallery on the ground floor.

Last week I noticed a new exhibition running at the student activity art center with art from Hsu Yung Chin. I’ve asked permission to shoot some photos, and since they were so thrilled that someone actually came in that they were more than happy to accommodate me :

I’m not a big expert on art but I thought it was really interesting and spent a long while walking around and looking at things.

Taipei Times has some more information about the artist and this form of art from a while back :

Writing pictures

Modern calligraphy in Taiwan is still fighting to establish itself against resistance from traditionalists who demand that calligraphers stick to the rules.

[...] Some of those responsible for challenging traditional calligraphic norms are members of Taiwan’s only avant-garde calligraphy group, the Mochao or Ink Tide Society (墨潮會). Formed in 1976, the society’s aim was to explore new avenues in calligraphy — avenues that founding members such as Hsu Yung-chin (徐永進) considered suited to the 20th century.

The Ink Tide Society conveyed its message by incorporating calligraphy into installation art, turning characters upside down and inside out or writing in a variety of colors. The group’s work was often so radical and contrary to calligraphic norms that many galleries remained apprehensive of exhibiting their works until the early 1990s.

“Many called it a betrayal of tradition. The traditionalists and critics who were brought up to believe that calligraphy can only be presented in one particular pattern were outraged,” says Yang Tse-yun (楊子雲), a member of the society since 1991. [...]

That was a nice surprise to come across. I really wasn’t expecting that.